Nacirema assignment PDF

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Nacirema...

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The unknown realm of Bulgaria

In the early 1967s, the anthropologist Mark Lewis traveled all around the Europe to explore the different cultures which are placed on this continent. In the term of his adventurous traveling, he saw so many impressive cultures and lands that every time after his visiting he did not know what to expect from the next destination. Thus 1 year was passed until it was time for Mr. Lewis to visit an unknown small land, in Southeastern Europe, with rarely heard name – Bulgaria. It was bordered by Romania to the North, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the South, and the Black sea to the East. Surprisingly, on his arrival, he found out that Bulgaria is still realm and its existence is one of the most ancient in the world. Although the inhabitants did not have a very different daily life than other countries, which Mr. Lewis had visited, they had quite unusual traditions. Bulgarians seemed merry nation to the anthropologist, but there was something which was making him wonder a lot. Most of their customs were about luck, health, happiness and fertility. As they had enormous fear not to lose these pleasures in life and as a result, they had created these rituals. To understand entirely the traditions of this nation Mr. Lewis decided to stay longer as a guest and to experience them by himself. On 1st of March, he was involved in the main tradition for health, luck and happiness called Baba Marta or literally Granny March. Then all people give each other white and red tassels (called martenitsa) that they normally wear on their wrists. Shocked Mr. Lewis found that they are only taken off when a stork or a blossoming tree is seen, which symbolize the arrival of the warmer season. He thought that this would not be hygienically at all and he denied to be part of that. The next custom in which he had to take part was on 21 st May called nestinarstvo or Fire dancing. The native people informed him that on this day they honor St. Konstantin and Elena and their icon is being held while dancing. Also, inhabitants were celebrating the transformation from spring to summer. Mr. Lewis had the impression that this custom could be interesting and he accepted the invitation. His enthusiasm ended as soon as the ritual got started. He was horrified by people’s masochism - the dancers performed the dance on hot glowing embers whilst in a trance state. This fact scared him to death and he ran away. Mr. Lewis was pretty anxious about the next challenge to which Bulgarians were about to face him. For that reason, he went to ask the inhabitants what to expect. They told him that masked men will dance to scare the evil spirits and to bring happiness to the people. Bulgarians compared their custom with Helloween and the foreign anthropologist calmed down because it sounded familiar to him. Easter holidays passed and the day of the masked men (or in Bulgarian- kukeri) came. Mr. Lewis went to the center of the realm where the event was supposed to be. There were some creatures all dressed up in handmade costumes and masks, all made of wood, leather, fur and copper and bronze bells hang off them. Some of the masks they wear had two faces: the one was good-humoured and the other was grim and sinister, representing how the good and the bad inevitably coexist in this world.

The anthropologist couldn’t handle anymore these bizarre rituals and decided to leave, but the Bulgarians made him change his mind and he stayed for one more custom – Winemaker’s day. The patron saint of the winemakers is St. Trifon the Pruner. The tradition stated that the more wine flows on this day, the more generous the next harvest would be. Thus Mr. Lewis fell in the magic of the Bulgarian wine and he had the desire to experience all the traditions he missed out. His staying prolonged even more and he had the opportunity to get to know even better realm of Bulgaria and its customs....